Traveling by air will help some first responders get to sites when streets are choked with traffic in the next two weeks.

The Washington State Patrol is shifting some of its planes to help troopers reach accidents and keep roads clear, and Airlift Northwest will bring on an extra copter to help ferry patients.

But Seattle police don't plan any special measures to deal with the traffic, police spokesman Mark Jamieson said.

"We're very adept at getting around on surface streets," he said. "Is it going to take longer? Probably. We're just going to have to factor that in."

The State Patrol tactics to keep traffic flowing during the construction include adding troopers to key locations and using a pair of airplanes outfitted with high-tech cameras to watch the freeway and the surrounding alternative routes.

"We'll be using them to monitor traffic to make sure we quickly spot disabled vehicles or blocking problems," Trooper Jeff Merrill said.

Tow trucks will be dispatched immediately to remove obstructions, and images from the airplane cameras will be transmitted live to the state's traffic management system. The cameras have infrared capability, a stabilizing system to keep images still, and microwaves that allow live transmissions.

Airlift Northwest, which already maintains four helicopters at Boeing Field, will add a fifth during the construction work, said Jeff Richey, the non-profit agency's north regional manager.

Fire departments throughout the state are trained on establishing landing zones for the air ambulance helicopters.

But in anticipation of the traffic congestion, Airlift pilots are working with the Seattle Fire Department to set up at least four pre-established landing zones, concentrating on West Seattle and the areas in South Seattle.

In this way, pilots will have had a chance to become familiar with the landing sites and make sure they meet all their safety criteria.

"But we're really flexible," Richey said. "So we can land at a ball field."

For those first responders stuck on the ground, there is an option for getting through traffic that most motorists don't have.